SATURDAY, MAY 22, 2010 For information about TDN, call 732-747-8060. FEATURE PRESENTATION • G1 IRISH 2000 GUINEAS ST NICK LEADS DERBY 19 Derrick Smith, Susan Magnier and Michael Tabor=s St Nicholas Abbey (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}) yesterday headed the list of 19 colts remaining in the June 5 G1 Investec Derby after the latest forfeit stage. Last year=s G1 Rac- ing Post Trophy winner, who was sixth as the even- monet favorite in the May 1 G1 2000 Guineas at Newmarket, is firmly on course for the Epsom Classic according to trainer Aidan O=Brien, who has a potential team of six after a number of scratches. AIn an ideal world, we would have preferred a better pace at A LEAP OF FAITH Newmarket which would have helped him get into a Is Canford Cliffs (Ire) (Tagula {Ire}) really a miler? nice rhythm, but it wasn=t to be on the day,@ he said. Third over Newmarket=s Rowley mile May 1, the colt AAll the horses that ran at that time of year have been that has had everyone in the Richard Hannon stable coming on a lot for the run and we=re hoping they=ll all abuzz for so long will have to answer that question on come forward a good deal. He=s always been a very The Curragh=s unforgiving terrain as he steps forward well-balanced horse and he=s a horse with loads of for today=s G1 Abu Dhabi Irish 2000 Guineas at The speed, so we never thought Epsom=s track would be a Curragh. There is no doubt he is high-class over sprint problem.@ O=Brien also has the G2 Dante S. winner distances, as his six-length dismissal of Xtension (Ire) Cape Blanco (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), last year=s G1 Criterium (Xaar {GB}) in the G2 Coventry S. at Royal Ascot in International winner Jan Vermeer (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}) June testifies. His first attempt at this trip put some and the recent G2 Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial winner doubts to bed, but it came Midas Touch (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) at the top of the ante- in a renewal of the 2000 post markets, but withdrew today=s G1 Irish 2000 Guineas which did not fea- Guineas runners Steinbeck (Ire) (Footstepsinthesand ture its customary strong {GB}), Fencing Master (GB) (Oratorio {Ire}) and Vis- early gallop and Hannon is count Nelson (Giant=s Causeway), as well as the under no illusions as to G1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud runner-up Mikhail Glinka what he will face here. (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). Cont. p9 ADoubtless, the Ballydoyle Canford Cliffs goffs.com plan is to try and exploit any chinks in our stamina, but none of us have ever had any doubts about Canford Cliffs=s ability to get the mile and we are going there with our tails up,@ Hannon said. ACanford Cliffs worked brilliantly for [jockey Richard] Hughesie on Wednesday morning. It was the best gallop that he has produced this season and Richard got off and said that he was finally getting the same sort of feel that the horse gave him before Royal Ascot last year. I know there are still plenty who think that he is a sprinter, but they said the same about Paco Boy (Ire). Maybe this time they will be proved right, and, if so, we will come back in distance, but we are going to Ireland in a positive frame of mind and we won=t be making excuses if we get beat.@ Irish 2000 Guineas cont. p2-3 SHOW ME THE MONEY... MONMOUTH 2010 The TDN takes a look at Monmouth Park’s inaugural 50-day, $50 million Elite Summer Meet...Coverage, p12-14 www.coolmore.com TDN P HEADLINE NEWS • 5/22/10 • PAGE 2 of 14 • thoroughbreddailynews.com Irish 1000 Guineas cont. Controlling the Curragh... Ballydoyle=s tag-team approach has worked so clini- cally and to ruthless effect on many of this venue=s big occasions and it will be a surprise if the tempo is not at fever-pitch this time. With a back-up including last year=s G2 Champagne S. runner-up Viscount Nelson (Giant=s Causeway) and the fast-closing G3 Tetrarch S. second Dynasty (GB) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}), the race should be set up perfectly for Steinbeck (Ire) (Footstepsinthesand {GB}) and Fencing Master (GB) (Oratorio {Ire}). Fencing Master, who needs the pace to be high as it was when he finished with a flourish to be runner-up in Newmarket=s G1 Dewhurst S. in October, may have a fitness edge over his Johnny Murtagh-pre- ferred stable companion after a seventh in the 2000 Guineas. Aidan O=Brien is keen on his chances of adding a seventh renewal. AHe=s in good form and came out of the race well,@ he said. AHe=s a grand, laid-back horse. Maybe in an ideal world, we=d have preferred it if they had gone a little bit faster for his first run back and then he would have got into the race better as he=s a bit lazy. Since then, our horses have been improving a good deal for their first run.@ The Long Drought... Jim Bolger, John Oxx and Tommy Stack have all yet to capture this prize despite their lengthy careers and the trio saddle live contenders. Bolger relies on June Judd=s Free Judgement (Vindication), who needs to improve on a latest short-head defeat of Dynasty in the Tetrarch over seven furlongs here May 3. Oxx has His Highness The Aga Khan=s impressive Listed Loughbrown S. winner Keredari (Ire) (Oasis Dream {GB}) to represent him. AThe ground at the Curragh was very holding and sticky and I didn=t think he=d handle it, but obviously he got through it better than the opposi- tion,@ Oxx stated. AI don=t think he particularly has a ground preference, as he won his maiden on good-to- firm, so time will tell. He=s only had three races, so we are still finding out a bit about him. He=s an idle sort of horse at home and is not a morning glory, so we've never had any view as to his level of his ability. I think he=ll get the trip, although there is plenty of speed in his family. It was a really stiff test over the seven on test- video ing ground last time.@ 27 Monmouth St. 2nd Floor Red Bank, NJ 07701 Fax (732) 747-8955 Phone (732) 747-8060 [email protected] 859.873.7270 www.airdriestud.com P TDN HEADLINE NEWS • 5/22/10 • PAGE 3 of 14 • thoroughbreddailynews.com Irish 2000 Guineas cont. He added, AThen you have Steinbeck, who=s obvi- ously a very promising horse, so it=s going to be an Stack Trainee Packs a Wallop... interesting race.@ With outsiders featuring prominently Stack=s golden stable puts forward Noll Wallop (Ire) in both the English Guineas, trainer Frank Ennis takes a (High Chaparral {Ire}), who swept aside Viscount Nel- chance on last year=s G3 Somerville Tattersall S. runner- son in the Mar. 28 G3 Leopardstown 2000 Guineas up Sebastian Flyte (GB) (Observatory). Seventh to Noll Trial. The trainer=s son and assistant Fozzy said, ABefore Wallop on his seasonal bow at Leopardstown last time, Leopardstown, we had always viewed him as more of a he has improvement to find but this faster surface will Derby horse but he quickened up very well and won help. AHe needed the race badly,@ Ennis told PA Sport. well there so we decided we=d take our chance in the AHe couldn=t travel on the ground in Leopardstown. He=s Guineas. You have to respect Canford Cliffs, Xtension in very good form now. We=d be hoping to run into a and Fencing Master, who all ran well in Newmarket and place. He=s a good, tough horse. He=s genuine and he=ll will be tough nuts to crack. definitely get the mile well.@ Saturday, The Curragh, Ireland, post time: 3:45 p.m. ABU DHABI IRISH 2000 GUINEAS-G1, €325,000, 3yo, c/f, 1mT SC PP HORSE OWNER BREEDER TRAINER/JOCKEY 1 5 Canford Cliffs (Ire) Heffer Syndicate/Mrs Roy/Mrs Instance S & S Hubbard Rodwell Hannon (Tagula {Ire}--Mrs Marsh {GB}, by Marju {Ire}) Hughes 2 1 Dynasty (GB) Susan Magnier/Michael Tabor/Derrick Smith Meon Valley Stud A O’Brien (Danehill Dancer {Ire}--Dash to the Top {GB}, by Montjeu {Ire}) Heffernan 3 9 Encompassing (Ire) Michael Tabor & Susan Magnier Pacelco SA A O’Brien (Montjeu {Ire}--Sophisticat, by Storm Cat) Levey 4 12 Fencing Master (GB) Derrick Smith/Susan Magnier/Michael Tabor Bjorn Nielsen A O’Brien (Oratorio {Ire}--Moonlight Dance, by Alysheba) O’Donoghue 5 3 Free Judgement K June Judd/Jackie Bolger/Ennistown Stud Twin Hopes Farm Inc Bolger (Vindication--South Bay Cove, by Fusaichi Pegasus) Manning 6 7 Keredari (Ire) H H The Aga Khan H H The Aga Khan’s Studs SC Oxx (Oasis Dream {GB}--Keretaka {Ire}, by Doyoun {Ire}) Berry 7 4 Noll Wallop (Ire) Roger O’Byrne Eugenia Farms Stack (High Chaparral {Ire}--Annie Girl {Ire}, by Danehill) Lordan 8 13 Oasis Dancer (GB) Mrs M E Slade Whitsbury Manor Stud/Mrs M E Slade Beckett (Oasis Dream {GB}--Good Enough {Fr}, by Mukaddamah) Crowley 9 2 Purple Heart (Ire) D Smith/S Magnier/M Tabor/P J Magnier Brittas House Stud A O’Brien (Sadler’s Wells--Brigid, by Irish River {Fr}) J O’Brien 10 10 Sebastian Flyte (GB) Perle O'Rourke Perle O'Rourke Ennis (Observatory--Aravonian {GB}, by Night Shift) Supple 11 6 Steinbeck (Ire) Michael Tabor/Derrick Smith/Susan Magnier Dr D Harron A O’Brien (Footstepsinthesand {GB}--Castara Beach {Ire}, by Danehill) Murtagh 12 11 Viscount Nelson Susan Magnier & Diane Nagle Barronstown Stud A O’Brien (Giant’s Causeway--Imagine {Ire}, by Sadler’s Wells) Smullen 13 8 Xtension (Ire) Brighthelm Racing Paul McCartan Cox (Xaar {GB}--Great Joy {Ire}, by Grand Lodge) Kirby All carry 126 pounds.